In this chapter, we discuss two approaches to supporting collaborative learning activities in higher education through technological means: structuring and regulating collaboration (Dillenbourg, 2002). Structuring approaches aim to create favourable conditions for learning by designing and scripting the situation before the interaction begins. They attempt to define the structure of the learning experience by varying the characteristics of the participants (e.g., the size and composition of the group, or the definition and distribution of roles), the availability and characteristics of tools and communication media, and the nature of the task (e.g., writing, problem-solving). Regulation approaches support collaboration by taking actions after the interaction has begun. They compare the dynamically changing state of student interaction to a model of ‘desired’ interaction, and intervene when discrepancies between these two states are discovered (Jermann, Soller, & Muehlenbrock, 2001).

There are two general approaches to supporting collaboration. The first approach consists of structuring the initial conditions in which the collaboration takes place. Factors such as group composition (e.g. accounting for gender or expertise), and the nature of task may help in understanding the nature of potential interaction problems. With regard to technology, a structuring approach involves designing tools that offer affordances for the learner to discover, understand and use in her own thinking (Stahl, this volume). Examples include sentence openers on a dialogue interface or the embodiment of a collaboration script in the learning environment. The second approach consists of coaching and regulating the interaction as it unfolds. Because of the dynamic and unpredictable nature of collaborative learning interaction, it is very difficult to analyze, assess, and coach group learning online. In this chapter, we describe a few different approaches to analyzing and guiding collaboration, and give examples of systems that apply these approaches.